Nissan – My Life at Speedhttp://mylifeatspeed.com
The lifestyle associated with going fast is one filled with high energy characters, risk takers, and lots of great stories.Thu, 07 Sep 2017 17:20:21 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.2Optima: Search For The Ultimate Street Carhttp://mylifeatspeed.com/optima-batteries-search-for-the-ultimate-street-car/
http://mylifeatspeed.com/optima-batteries-search-for-the-ultimate-street-car/#commentsWed, 01 Jun 2016 15:16:10 +0000http://mylifeatspeed.com/?p=51700 I like big racing like a lot of other people reading this, but I found something special when I attended my first Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car event. For those of you somewhat familiar with the series, you may think its all pro touring muscle cars or strictly an american car only […]

I like big racing like a lot of other people reading this, but I found something special when I attended my first Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car event. For those of you somewhat familiar with the series, you may think its all pro touring muscle cars or strictly an american car only event. I’m here to tell you it’s for all cars. Hell, there was a late model Toyota Camry running the first day. Even though he knew he wasn’t going to place, he was having one hell of a good time. To add to it all, what I ended up finding was the pure essence of why we become car enthusiasts in the first place. The attraction of man and machine with the community that encompasses it all. The key factor here is that it’s obtainable for almost any gear head. You see, that’s the one problem with larger race series. While it’s cool to see what the limits of technology, deep pockets, and gobs of talent can get you in the racing industry, it is simply unobtainable for most people. Like wanting to become a rockstar or famous actor, possible but not probable. With the Optima series, accessibility, fun, and passion are the foundation of what makes this series so good.

I saw all walks of life joining in the fun. Everything from the one guy that drove his car to the event, all the way up to the big rig hauling two cars with a small support team. I took some time to talk with a lot of them and it brought me back to why I enjoy the car community. The comradery, the respect, and the passion that each of these individuals share. There was no animosity… some good natured rib jabbing, of course, but no drama, no BS. It was really nice and something I could see myself running a car in next year.

The idea originally started when I was talking with Bill Hurd on the Camaro forums, inquiring about his car, a 2014 Camaro 1LE. I had come across some of his posts, watched a few of his videos, and liked what he had done to his car. Long story short, we got talking about the Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car event being held at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP). We decided to meet there, so I could follow along with his involvement in this series and get to know him, and his car, a little better. It ended up being one of my more memorable experiences in some time.

After a 10 hour drive down from Maine, (over 2 hours of that was going 10 miles through NYC, in a manual transmission car no less), I finally made it to NJMP. It was Friday and late in the afternoon. I picked up my credentials and made a quick pass through the track area to get an idea of the layout before going to meet with Bill. I then headed to a restaurant not far from the track where I met him and his father for dinner. It was finally nice to put a face with a name and have an actual conversation in person, versus over the forums or through texts. We decided to get an early start on the next day, as the weather forecast was not ideal, and Bill had a newly built engine and brand new suspension he wanted to get dialed in prior to the first event. With nearly 600hp at the crank, getting as much of that power to the ground is key.

Bill Hurd’s 2014 Camaro 1LEPrepping the suspension and changing the oil before the start of events.

Next morning, we meet up in the paddocks and got his car over to JJ working with Raymond’s Performance to get a baseline set for his suspension for the coming events. During our walk over there, we were met by a deep, thunderous rumble emitting from the infamous Showtime Motorsports‘ Z/28, driven by owner Ken Thwaits. Not long after that, the paddocks become alive with the sound of small block V8’s, sprinkled over with some old american iron, big blocks, turbo 4 cylinders, and a lone flat 6 out of the only Porsche here today. The sounds are intoxicating. Not to mention the lingering smell of race fuel. I swear, if I could somehow make an air freshener to replicate that smell, I could retire within a year.

Ken Thwaite cars for the event. His Z/28 in the foreground and his EVO in the background.

After final preparations were completed, the morning Drivers’ Meeting was held were host Jimi Day went over the day’s events, as well as what to expect over the next coming days. Today was going to be the autocross and the design and engineering judging. With the weather predictions of rain looming over the day, everyone was anxious to start getting some autocross runs in.

All participants line up for the autocross. Bill got suited up and ready to roll. Other than a track day session the day prior, this would be the first time he had been to an event since his engine and suspension were installed. And the first day on the suspension after being calibrated appropriately. Bill admittedly is more of a road course guy than an autocross guy, but that is why this event is set up they way it is. A fair mix of everything, to test the car and driver’s ability in various situations, while still be able to drive comfortably on the streets. At the end of the day, these are street cars and not full race cars, even with the level of modification that some of them have. Anyways, back to the story.

Bill and I were talking strategy. Most autocrosses are a one and done scenario. Meaning only one lap around. BUT, since this autocross course is limited to size constraints, participants would be going around the course twice. Talking with Bill, this might work to his advantage as normally the tires and brakes would be rather cold making it difficult to put all that power to the ground. One thing Bill jokingly says is he wants to make sure he only does two laps and not more. It turns out, he may have forgotten his own advice, because on the first run, he accidentally did an extra lap. In all fairness though, there were quite a few people that did this as well. Especially on the first attempt.

Bill exited the course with his time slip and immediately realized what he had done. The silver lining to it all is more familiarization of the course layout. After all, this course is tight and not very 5th Gen Camaro friendly, considering how low, wide and powerful those cars are. While not all cars being run were Camaros, they made up a large portion of the entry list.

Bill on the autocross courseKen Thwaits in his Z/28 on the autocrossOne badass pro touring Chevelle

After lining back up to wait for his next run, Bill and I talked with some of the other participants about the course. Ken Thwaits was running two cars in this event. His 5th Gen Camaro Z/28 and his Mitsubishi EVO. Quite the undertaking, not leaving a lot of time in between, but he managed to do it pretty well. On a short, tight course like this, the all wheel drive will have a distinct advantage. Especially when the Z/28 has over 720hp.

The line moves forward towards the starting grid of the course and Bill gets suited up once more. I get in position to get some photos. As I waited, I jokingly sent a friendly text reminder to only do TWO laps this time. And he did, regardless of my text, because not surprisingly, he didn’t read it until after he had completed his run.

By this time, the clouds were looking pretty ugly. Mist had begun to spew from the air, a precursor of what was to come. Most people had come to the conclusion that these few dry runs were going to be the best run times of the day. While a lot of people were now making their way over to the Design and Engineering tent for judging. This is the portion where the cars are judged on their performance upgrades, innovation, fit, and finish, as well as their balance for daily use.

In between sessions, Bill and I spent some time with Bruce Raymond from Raymond’s Performance, as well as Ken Thwaits. Bruce was kind enough to let us hang out in the lounge area of his trailer where we spent some time talking, in addition to giving me a chance to edit some photos. Again, the hospitality and sense of community surrounding this event was very inviting.

As the rain moved in, it was nice to see that a lot of people were still driving the autocross. You would be surprised how much car control you can actually learn in the wet. There were a few people that even improved their time in the wet over their dry time just due to the back to back runs. But as the weather continued even those last remaining cars stopped running. Later in the afternoon, all the drivers gather again for the announcement of the Road Rally stage. This is a portion where all the participants follow some predetermined directions to a destination. Where being a street car comes into play.

The Mustang got a little off course when it mistakenly ate a cone thinking it was a crowd member too close to the exit of a Cars and Coffee

The original route was estimated at about 2 hours one way. Our destination being Wildwood, on the New Jersey shoreline. I hopped in Bill’s 1LE for the ride down. First impression… this car is friggen awesome! No, seriously. To me, it is nearly the perfect blend of street car and track car. It looks mean as hell. Low, wide, and with vicious exhaust note. The ride, even with the new track oriented suspension, was surprisingly compliant. If we were going on an extended trip, you might want to soften it up a bit with the compression and rebound, but overall it really wasn’t that bad. This was the first real time I was able to be in the car for any extended period of time. And Bill, I have to say, you have built your car very well. It mirrors my own thoughts in regards to how I would upgrade the car if this 1LE were mine. My hat is off to you. I can’t wait to see what you do with your Z/28.R.

As we cruised down to the coastline, it was really quite fun seeing all the other cars from the event mixed into the traffic. Taking what on a normal day would be a mundane commute full of normal cars in various shades of black, white and silver, and liven it up a bit with the motley crew that ensued.

We finally made it down to our checkpoint, where I hopped out to take a quick photo. Then we got a bite to eat before our ride back to the track. All in all, even with the weather, it wasn’t a half bad day.

Jay Payson in his supercharger Mustang GT. He came all the way up from Florida for this event.Time for some grub. Damn, these cars look good.We weren’t the only ones getting a photo at the checkpoint.

Day 2

The autocross was fun, but the road course is what both Bill and I had been waiting for. It’s kind of funny that after talking with a lot of people at the event, most people have a preference of one or the other. Meaning they like the road course portion, but don’t care for the autocross portion. Or vice versa. It was rare to find someone that liked them both. I personally enjoy autocross, but given the choice between an autocross event and a track day, the track day will win out every time. One benefit, as friend Dave Tyo pointed out about autocross, is if you start out doing that first, what you learn can transition well out on a road course, but the reverse doesn’t seem to be the case. Interesting.

Today’s weather was supposed to be a bit more agreeable than the day prior. There were to be 5 sessions on track for each of the three running groups: novice, intermediate, and expert. In between those sessions, drivers would be competing in the speed stop challenge. Basically a short course, designed around acceleration, tight turns, and stop box. Best time receives the most points. This day should provide ample runs in both events.

Bill was set to run in the expert group for the road course, so he had some time before he would need to be at the gridline. We walked the speed stop course prior to running it. The course shape was a large “U” but the first and second corners were more of a 90 degree angle with not a lot of run out space. The margin for error was very small. After the second turn, you had to time where you started to brake as you entered the stop box. If you hit the cones at the end, you DNF. Luckily, multiple runs were available to fine tune your run and give yourself the best possible time. This was an event where the all wheel drive cars should have had a distinct advantage, due to the short nature of the course and their ability to launch hard. In fact, a Nissan GTR ended up winning the event. What was surprising was how well some of the rear wheel drive cars were doing in comparison.

As time marched on, Bill, along with the rest of the expert group, got to go out for their first session on the road course. It was really neat to be able to see the little battles taking place within the run group. I know it’s a time trial based run, but you had several small groups of drivers who seemed to find each other on course and have their own little mini battles. Some laps, one particular car would be in front, then a couple laps later it would be reversed. So on and so forth. There were a pair of black Corvettes, a C5 and a C6 that were wickedly fast. They were both excellent drivers and the cars were set up very well. Then you had Ken in his beast of a Z/28. He was fairly untouchable most of the time. You also had the two white Camaro 1LEs. One was Bill and the other was Darren Reed, a purpose built monster of a car, built by Pete Basica of JPSS. This too was Darren’s maiden voyage in the event with his new car. It was a real treat to see both of these cars on course trading places every few laps. They seemed to be fairly evenly matched in both car and driver.

The first track session ended and the plan was to go straight to the speed stop with warm tires and brakes to help with the launch, overall grip, and braking force for the stop box. It was a good theory and would have worked well, if a participants car hadn’t puked coolant on the course. By the time it was all cleaned up, any advantage was lost, but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes.

Bill in his 1LE on the attackGen 1 Camaro with a late model Corvette drivetrain swapKen in his Z/28Dave Tyo in his Boss 302 turning some really impressive lap times

Darren and his 1LE built by JPSS

The day continued on and Bill got another track session in before the weather started to turn around again. The mist rolled back in and before long there was a light rain. The weather would continue to tease us with brief sightings of the sun, only to be followed up with a hope crushing rainfall shortly there after. Ken had an off course during one of the track sessions, where he had been doing a hero run for a best time and went a little too hot into turn one on the Lightning course. Turn one is a bit tricky as it is a blind crest, off camber right hander, notorious for upsetting the suspension. Especially with a bit too much speed and greasy conditions. Luckily Ken wasn’t hurt but the car got it’s lower jaw, aka front splitter, ripped off. I still don’t know if he ever found the GoPro that had been attached at one point.

Not long after towards the end of the day, Bill’s 1LE suffered some minor electrical issues with insufficient charging. Eric from Raymonds Performance swapped out the alternator in record time and then a battery from Optima themselves was used to continue testing the system. It seemed to be in good working order, but a short trip around the paddocks proved differently. Not wanting to risk anything, Bill ended up calling it for himself. It was suspected that there may have been a loose ground somewhere in the circuit causing issue. After all, the whole powertrain had been out of the car being overhauled prior to this event. Its very likely that with all the vibrations, something could have worked loose or caused a poor connection.

Optima was kind enough to lend us a battery for diagnostics

As the afternoon moved into early evening, the weather conditions worsened. The rain became more steady and people’s tolerance of the weather seemed to be reaching its limit. That is, all except for one fellow. Rick Hoback and his turbocharged C5 Vette. He was the last person to come off course in the last session of the day. In fact, he was the only one out on course in the rain for the last session of the day.

After talking with him he said “I knew I wasn’t going to be any faster, I was just out there having fun!”

Awesome answer, Rick.

Rick exiting the course after the last session of the day and being the only car on course for the whole session.

The award ceremony came at the end of the day, where 5 people were invited to the the national event held in Las Vegas. Even though the rain continued to soak us all, spirits were back in good shape. Laughs were had and new friendships forged. I would personally like to thank Bill Hurd and his father for their hospitality and invitation to join them. I am happy to have met several people in person for the first time, after months or more of online conversations. Ken Thwaits, Pete Basica, Dave Tyo, Darren Reed and more, you fall into this category. And to all the other people that I met for the first time and befriended. I will definitely be back for more. Optima, you have an awesome event going and I will do my best to help promote something that seems to capture, so organically, what it means to be a car enthusiast.

Televised coverage can be found at MAVTV. Don’t have MAVTV? No problem, these episodes will be available on lucasoilracing.tv as well.

Below you will find the rest of my photos from the event.

Dave Tyo’s Boss 302. One very cool ride. Reed Hood Racing.Bill Hurd on the left and Ken Thwaits on the rightLining up to go back on the autocross.Now this was a bone of contention as to what exactly was coming out the tail pipe on Rick Hoback’s Corvette but I am fairly convinced he mixes in the blood of his enemies with his fuel and this is the byproduct.Darren Reed in his 1LE at the Speed Stop challenge getting a little squirly.Bill launching for the Speed Stop Challenge.A tight shot of the rear aero on Ken Thwait’s Z/28Bill on the chase and getting comfortable with his new engine and suspension.Dave Tyo proving that you can still be fast with a live rear axleDarren Reed in his 1LE just after turn 1. It gets difficult to tell his 1LE and Bill’s apart from a distance.A closer shot of Darren and his 1LETurn 2 with Ken’s Z/28A tighter pan of Darren on courseAnother well sorted Mustang at the Speed Stop ChallengeDarren awaiting the thumbs up to start his run for the Speed StopBill at Turn 7A tighter shot of Bill at Turn 7Proof that Carbon Ceramic brakes dust a lot. This wheel was pure white before the track session.New School meets Old School. The Chenille was surprisingly flat in the corner.Darren on the brakes just after the bridgeYou could hear the splitter scrapping under heavy braking but this guy could drive.Wide body Fox body Mustang on the front straight.Gen 1 Camaro at the Speed Stop ChallengeBadass Pro Touring Chenille at the startBill approaching the first turn for the Speed Stop Challenge

Bill riding the line between speed and oversteerPro Touring Challenger entering the lightbulb.Another gem I wish I had got more photos of.A small portion of the cars entered into the event.Bill on the autocross courseJay Payson on the autocross course

]]>http://mylifeatspeed.com/optima-batteries-search-for-the-ultimate-street-car/feed/4Formula Drift Round 2 – Road Atlantahttp://mylifeatspeed.com/formula-drift-round-2-road-atlanta/
Tue, 10 May 2016 02:44:18 +0000http://mylifeatspeed.com/?p=51402Formula Drift Round 2 – Road Atlanta Following a rain soaked kick off to the 2016 Formula Drift season in Long Beach, the series shifted to the east coast of the United States for round 2 at Road Atlanta. Unlike round 1, competitors and fans were welcomed to the rolling hills of Georgia by clear skies […]

Following a rain soaked kick off to the 2016 Formula Drift season in Long Beach, the series shifted to the east coast of the United States for round 2 at Road Atlanta. Unlike round 1, competitors and fans were welcomed to the rolling hills of Georgia by clear skies and mild temperatures, setting the stage for intense action.Following a round 1 win, Chelsea Denofa entered the event 1st in championship points, with 2015 champion Fredric Aasbo and 2015 runner-up Ken Gushi in 2nd and 3rd place respectively. However with all competition series, anything can and will change in the blink of an eye.As practice kicked off Friday afternoon, it was obvious that competitors were ready to lay it all on the line. Extreme angle and 100+ mph entry speeds are standard when Formula Drift takes to the turn 10 complex of Road Atlanta.Following practice, Top 32 qualifying kicked off with Tanner Foust setting the bar with a run score of 80 in his Rockstar Energy Volkswagen Passat.Foust did not stay at the top long as Vaughn Gittin Jr. took over the top spot with a near-perfect run, which included an entry speed of over 107mph.Fredric Aasbo powered his SR by Toyota TC to a 2nd qualifying position. While Matt Field powered his safety yellow Nissan S14.5 to 3rd place in qualifying. Chris Forsberg in his Nissan 370z, laid down a solid run to secure a 4th place qualifying position.Rounding out the Top5 qualifiers was Aurimas “Odie” Bakchis.

Saturday – Competition Day:

As fans invaded Road Atlanta on Saturday and setup their viewing spot, mechanics made last minute adjustments with hopes of providing their driver with the best possible machine for battle.After catching up with Nameless Performance owner John Hoyenga, it was time for final practice and the Top32 competition to begin. Ryan Tuerk kicked things off in his Nameless Performance | Gumout | SR by Toyota FRS.Final practice allowed competitors a chance to get final adjustments made to their car, in addition it provided an opportunity to practice tandem runs with their fellow competitors.

Top 32Top 32 bracketNumber 1 qualifier Vaughn Gittin Jr. kicked off the Top32 competition with a bye-run. With just a few runs in the books, suddenly a number of highly popular names in the sport were knocked out of competition. This included the top 3 competitors from Rd 1 in Long Beach; Chelsea Denofa was sent home by Kenny Moen, Fredrick Aasbo lost to Jeff Jones and Ken Gushi fell to Michael Essa. Other drivers knocked out in the Top32 included; Ryan Tuerck, Matt Field, Justin Pawlak and Matt Coffman.

Top 8 bracketVaughn Gittin Jr. and Tyler McQuarrie took to the track to kick off the Top 8 with an intense battle between Chevrolet and Ford. In the end it was Vaughn Gitten Jr. taking home the win to secure him a spot on the podium. Chris Forsberg took down Aurimas “Odie” Bakchis to secure a place in the final. Alec Hohnadell continued his path of destruction beating Tanner Foust. Dai Yoshihara secured a Top 4 position with a round win over Michael Essa.

Top 4

Top 4 bracketVaughn Gittin Jr. blasted his way into the finals, beating out his good friend and former champion Chris Forsberg. Dai Yoshihara gave it his all as he upset the crowd by beating Alec Hohnadell to advance to the final. As the air cleared, it was down to two drivers. Vaughn Gittin Jr. had come out swinging, from his dominate qualifying runs to his precise control of every round, this was his event to win or lose. After qualifying 6th Dai Yoshihara battled through each round, obtaining round win after round win by the slimmest of margins. After two incredible runs that filled the Georgia air surrounding the turn 10 complex of Road Atlanta, Vaughn Gittin Jr. secured his place in history, taking home the round 2 victory and securing the 2016 Formula Drift Championship points lead.

A quiet, crisp spring morning suddenly became filled with the powerful rumble of v8 and rotary engine as drivers from across the midwest descended upon Gateway Motorsports Park. Midwest Drift Union presented by Enjuku Racing, a ProAm championship drift series had come to town for round 1 of its 2016 season.As 42 talented and dedicated drivers unloaded their beast of battle, it was obvious these machines were built for one reason, to make a statement. A statement of not only bragging rights, but one that proved they were ready to compete in the next step of the competitive drift ladder. Following the 4 rounds of competition, spread throughout Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, the top 3 drivers will be awarded a 2017 Formula Drift Pro2 competition license.The setup was simple; following a 9:30am drivers meeting, the track would go HOT from 10am until 3pm for open practice, followed by a 2 run qualifying format and a Top16 bracket battle.As the track went hot, a range of competition vehicles took to the circuit. Formula Drift Pro2 competitor Andrew Lewis, in his 2JZ Nissan S13.David Mesker in his 2Jz powered Nissan S13.Alec Robbins wowed everyone in attendance, in his V8 powered Nissan D21 pickup.As the Top16 began, the battles were intense. But in the end, Mike Feiock and his Mazda Rx7 took home the event win beating out Steven Fishel in his 1JZ powered Nissan S13.

]]>Xtreme Xperience Kick Off Event At NOLAhttp://mylifeatspeed.com/xtreme-xperience-kick-off-event-at-nola/
http://mylifeatspeed.com/xtreme-xperience-kick-off-event-at-nola/#commentsWed, 13 Apr 2016 07:31:31 +0000http://mylifeatspeed.com/?p=50921Xtreme Xperience Kick Off Event At NOLA The event started off with rain. But when rain is measured in feet rather than inches, you have to some times reschedule. And unfortunately that was the case for the original kick off event date planned in March. Fast forward to April 1st and it seemed like a bit […]

The event started off with rain. But when rain is measured in feet rather than inches, you have to some times reschedule. And unfortunately that was the case for the original kick off event date planned in March. Fast forward to April 1st and it seemed like a bit of deja vu.

I arrived the Thursday before the rescheduled kick off event and the clouds were ominous. Forecast was calling for more rain and thunderstorms. It figures. Up until this point, the weather had been relatively dry and sunny for weeks. Talking with Nola Motorsports Park’s Director of Operations, Scott Foremaster, everyone was diligently watching the weather predictions for the next 24 hours.

“It was supposed to rain today and it has held off so far.” said Scott. “We are hoping that most of the rain happens during the night.”

Me too.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case. But weather be damned, the show went on! I met up with the Xtreme Xperience crew prior to the grand opening on April 1. They showed me around the new HQ they built for the cars and staff that would be calling Nola their home from now on. Mark Olalde, Director of Operations for the New Orleans location, along with Alyssa Marie, Communications Coordinator, and Christian “Mental” Ward, Chief Driving Instructor, would make up the staff whom would be staying full time at the NOLA location.

Left to right, Christian “Mental” Ward, Mark Olalde and Alyssa Marie.

When I asked Adam Olalde , CEO of Xtreme Xperience, about the main differences between how this venue would be in comparison to the original Xtreme Xperience (the program that is on the road going from racetrack to racetrack around the country with their fleet of supercars). He responded that it gave them a chance to slow down and enjoy the other side of being a car enthusiast. There is much more one on one time with the client. Both before and after the driving event, which is the main attraction, the clients can come up into the loft sitting area, talk shop, and relax. Enjoying the comradery amongst our fellow enthusiasts. Something that the normal tour doesn’t always allow for due to time constraints and obligations.

Here they have the luxury of always being in the same location for people to come to them and still enjoy driving one of four different supercars either on the main track in a 1.8 mile configuration or on the Sprint Circuit, a custom 0.6 mile course configured right next to their HQ.

Guests hang out in the newly built loft area of Xtreme Xperiences new HQ at NOLA.

The rain held off for most of the morning, but as the clouds darkened, the decision was made to move the cars over to the main tent before the celebrations, and the rain, started. Everyone arrived and mingled about as the steady drum of rain could be heard on the covered paddock area, with an ever increasing tempo. A short while later, speeches were made from Adam Olalde, CEO of Xtreme Xperience, as well as several people from NOLA, including owner Laney Chouest. See the video below for details.

Not long after the last speech was made, the official opening of Xtreme Xperience and the ribbon cutting ceremony took place. Then in full New Orleans style the sounds of the Treme Brass Band filled the air and the dancing commenced. Everyone seemed a little more relaxed now that the official opening was over and worrying about the weather seemed futile. All four supercars were on display and free for people to get inside, start up, and give a few revs. Everyone seemed eager to oblige. After all, it’s not every day people get to sit in a six figure car. Some costing more than an average home.

Left to Right, CEO of NOLA, Frank Christian, Mike Yenni, Jefferson Parish President, Adam Olalde, CEO of Xtreme Xperience and Laney Chouest, Owner of NOLA Motorsports ParkCelebrations took place shortly after the ribbon cutting.Joe Moore, CMO of Xtreme Xperience takes a photo of Adam and himself during the celebrations as the Treme Brass Band plays in the background.

The rain seemed to be playing mind games with us. Lessening to the point of raising our hopes for a clear afternoon. To the extent that the maintenance crew were out cleaning up any standing water that had collected on course. It seemed we may yet get a chance to get behind the wheel of one of these supercars. One look at the radar soon crushed those hopes. One saving grace though was we were able to go out for hot laps in the rain. We didn’t know how many times we would be able to go out with the incoming cells of rain so we tried to get as many laps in as many cars as we could.

The Porsche GT3 peaks out from beneath the covered paddock area, longing to be back out on course, weather be damned.

I was able to go out in three of the four cars. The Porsche GT3, Ferrari 458 italia, and the Nissan GTR. Now, the Nissan had amazing grip, to be expected with all wheel drive as well as a very advanced traction control system. What really surprised me was how much mechanical grip both the GT3 and 458 had. Especially with the amount of rain that was now coming down. It was to the point that I could physically see the puddles growing larger in between each lap.

It was at this point that I decided I better grab my camera and get some photos before they stop running the cars all together. I had the privilege of being chauffeured around the course in the Ferrari. Even though it was a deluge, things could be worse.

Just a little bit of moisture..Rooster tails always make for good photosA time to reflect

As the weather continued, the day’s activities began to wind down. People went their separate ways, but Xtreme made it known to me that they were beyond disappointed to have me come all this way and be unable to drive some of their cars. Looking at the forecast on Saturday, it was scheduled to be a beautiful sunny day. They offered for me to come back and drive some of their cars on the Sprint Circuit. (As the main track was rented out that particular weekend to a bike racing event.) I was more than happy to agree. The Sprint Circuit looked like a lot of fun.

The next morning left me waking up early. My flight was later in the afternoon and I wanted to get the most out of the time I had prior to boarding that plane. Plus, I have a 18 month old at home that doesn’t like to sleep more than a couple hours consecutively at a time, so the full, uninterrupted nights rest left we wide awake at the crack of dawn to say the least.

I made my way down to the Sprint Circuit but they were still getting things ready and I didn’t want to rush them, so I continued over to the control tower per Scott Foremaster’s suggestion to watch some of the qualifying for WERA motorcycle road racing event.

As the bikes ripped by on the front straight I received a call from Christian, aka”Mental” to his friends and colleagues. They were ready and I could head over when ever.

Christian on the Porsche and Mark on the Ferrari pose for a photo outside their new HQ at NOLA

I make it over to the Spring Circuit and find Christian finishing up placing some final cones that had blown around from yesterdays storm. I hop into his Mercedes and he shows me a lap for reference. We go back and grab the Ferrari 458. I have Christian do a few laps so I can get some photos of the car on course. I later do the same for the GT3. This also gives me a chance to see a little more of the track set up and orientation.

Then it is my turn behind the wheel in Ferrari. This is my first time driving a Ferrari of any sort. First impressions is the engine loves to sing and the transmission is on point. There was no manual shifting on the paddles as there was no need. The shifting algorithms were so good I never doubted it would downshift at the correct time. Handling is good, but it is not something I can fully appreciate in only a few laps. The car’s dynamics become more apparent with each consecutive lap. I am enjoying myself most thoroughly. Even if we were given the chance to go on course yesterday in the rain, we wouldn’t of been able to really experience what the cars were capable of. This was much better.

Next was the Porsche GT3. Now this car immediately felt more familiar. More at home. I felt more confident and predictable in the Porsche. And the brakes. Oh so good. And for not being on the course before, Christian was very good at getting the most out of each lap and fine tuning the areas where I could improve. I know a lot of people are in love with the Ferrari but my preference, hands down, was the Porsche. Don’t get me wrong, they are both very capable and engaging drives, but the Porsche just felt more natural to me. It could be I am more familiar with them than, say, the Ferrari. But what you want to feel when driving a car, especially at speed, is confidence. The more confident you are, the faster you will be and the more fun you will have. You gain confidence by predictability and feedback. Both things the Porsche has in spades. The Ferrari is very good as well, but I just didn’t have the same level of confidence in the Ferrari. Considering that the Ferrari 458 italia was the bench mark for supercars for some time and the fact that manufacturers seem to keep raising the bar so quickly, to almost unprecedented levels for street cars, is simply amazing. A true testament to how far technology has come in a relatively short amount of time. This is where the trickle down effect from these companies motorsports programs really helps.

Life could be much worse when you are trying to explain the minor differences between to icons of the automotive world.

I know, first world problems.

All and all it was a great time. I want to take a moment and thank everyone at NOLA Motorsports Park, as well as Xtreme Xperience. I know this wasn’t the kick off event you were looking for, but you all were so accommodating and helpful in making this an enjoyable event. I was assured many times that it doesn’t always rain like this in New Orleans. But that is the nice thing about being able to drive a supercar with Xtreme at NOLA. It is no longer only a couple days of the year. You can now go almost any day of the week. So if you needed or wanted to reschedule, it’s not that big a deal to do so. I’m looking forward to what the future holds for both these companies. Do yourself a favor and check them out.

]]>Exclusive First Look: 2017 Nissan GT-R – Godzilla Gets a Big Makeover – Motor Trend Presentshttp://mylifeatspeed.com/exclusive-first-look-2017-nissan-gt-r-godzilla-gets-a-big-makeover-motor-trend-presents/
Fri, 25 Mar 2016 23:12:58 +0000http://mylifeatspeed.com/?p=50751Check out Motor Trend’s exclusive first Look at the upgraded 2017 Nissan GT-R. On this episode of Motor Trend Presents, they do a deep dive on the more powerful, more comfortable, and yet still ridiculously quick GT-R. They also get some one-on-one time with the Godzilla’s granddaddy, Hiroshi Tamura, the Chief Product Specialist of the […]

Check out Motor Trend’s exclusive first Look at the upgraded 2017 Nissan GT-R. On this episode of Motor Trend Presents, they do a deep dive on the more powerful, more comfortable, and yet still ridiculously quick GT-R. They also get some one-on-one time with the Godzilla’s granddaddy, Hiroshi Tamura, the Chief Product Specialist of the R35 GT-R.

]]>The Coveted V8 Engine and What Makes It so Specialhttp://mylifeatspeed.com/the-coveted-v8-engine-and-what-makes-it-so-special/
Fri, 11 Mar 2016 13:05:59 +0000http://mylifeatspeed.com/?p=50382In this week’s installment of the Human Element, we will be discussing the allure of the V8 engine despite the fact that there are more efficient and practical applications out there. Because after all, no one ever reminisces about that time they had a mediocre driving experience. There are three key elements that set the […]

]]>In this week’s installment of the Human Element, we will be discussing the allure of the V8 engine despite the fact that there are more efficient and practical applications out there. Because after all, no one ever reminisces about that time they had a mediocre driving experience.

There are three key elements that set the V8 engine apart.

The sound.

The power.

And the delivery.

While there are force induction versions of the V8, I am going to mainly focus on the naturally aspirated variants in this article.

Photo courtesy of Ferrari. The power plant of the 458 Italia.

The Sound

I think most all of us can agree that the V8 engine is one of the best sounding engine designs in existence. Whether you prefer the high revving acoustics of a Ferrari, or the low, throaty rumble of some old American muscle, it’s just intoxicating. You can pick that sound out amongst the crowd and it invokes a most primal response. Something that makes you stand up and take notice.

Now all the 4 cylinder guys out there are going to become a little butt hurt on this next statement, but it’s simply true. Four cylinder engines do not sound good. They just don’t. They all relatively sound the same with a few exceptions like the boxer engine. But while, in comparison it may sound different, it does mean it sounds good. Yes, they can make good power and can be more efficient with power per liter… Ssssssssshhh. That’s not what we are talking about here. Accept it and read on.

There’s no other engine out there that has the versatility in sound like the V8. You can find some one in all walks of car life that can associate a good V8 engine bellow with a fond memory of some prior blissful motoring experience of the past. A couple for me are when the Corvettes used to come driving by at wide open throttle during an ALMS race and you could literally feel the reverberations in your chest with each stroke of that marvelous engine. Or the raspy crackle of the Aston Martin off throttle. Or the moment a top fuel dragster goes from idle to wide open throttle and you see, hear, and feel the heat wave coming from the exhaust, pointed defiantly towards the race gods, as it rips the very fabric of space and time with each hellish belch into the atmosphere, all while streaking off in to the distance seemingly defying physics. For nothing that fast could be anything short of jumping through a worm hole to cover that much distance in such a short amount of time.

You can’t help but smile and embrace the urge to hear and feel that primal response to something so special on a more frequent basis. Now that the hook is set, you are lured to the source of all that blissful motor cacophony and feel the need to experience it in some form for yourself.

The Power

Generally speaking, V8’s make decent power in their natural aspirated state. Everyone gets caught up in horsepower figures, but what really matters and what you feel most with these engines are the torque. Torque is generally a V8’s bread and butter. It’s that initial response you get which sets you back in the seat when you mash the pedal into the floorboard. The horsepower just carries it through. The torque is what sets those lips to cracking a smile and the horsepower finishes it off with a grin. Nowadays, 300 horsepower in a V8 is considered below average. Not too long ago, that was respectable power for a V8. Now, the new norm for most V8’s is 400 or more horsepower with matching or close torque levels. You have variants that put out over 500 hp from the factory in a Mustang, naturally aspirated. Or the Corvette Z06 with 650 hp and 650 ft lbs. Lets not forget the Hellcat with 707 hp. And all these with a warranty. And if you start to look at the aftermarket, over 1,000 hp is not unheard of. What the hell are you going to do with all that power? It’s pointless, but at the same time, impressive. After all, we are talking about the human element and that includes our attraction to irrational wants and thoughts.

The Delivery

This subject could go on for a very long time but I will try to keep it short and concise. You have three main power delivery applications. Natural aspirated (NA), supercharged, and turbocharged. All with their pros and cons.

Turbocharged engines are by far the easiest way to make gobs of power. While a factory turbocharged engine is generally out of most peoples league cost wise, they provide the best option of power delivery and modulation of that power. I tend to focus my driving on road courses and generally twisty fun roads. Turbos on a V8 can be down right scary in that application, because of the amount of power they can deliver, in addition to the way the power is delivered, especially in an aftermarket scenario. It’s much more manageable in a straight line application unless you have a lot of suspension work and throttle control. The urge to go wide open throttle on a turbocharged V8 off apex of a turn is not always a smart idea. Because once that boost hits, you better know what you’re doing. In a straight line, it is more manageable. I can see the addiction, but it’s short lived for me. I don’t like to live my life a quarter mile at a time. While turbocharged engine have come a long, long way since their inception, compared to the other two options, they are still a on-off switch with power delivery.

This brings us to superchargers, which are generally thought of as a fair compromise between a turbocharged and a naturally aspirated engine. Superchargers are a good bang for your buck way of making a lot of power and is less complicated than a turbocharged set up. The power delivery is more predictable and linear than most turbo setups, therefore giving you similar power levels of a turbo application with the driving characteristics of a really good NA engine. Downsides are heatsoak and for some, the whine produced by the supercharger. (The latter is subjective though.) With heatsoak, it really depends on your application, where in a hot climate and driving on a road course, it becomes more prominent. With both the turbo and supercharger, you lose some of that V8 sound due to the forced induction. Not a bad fit, but overall, still not quite the same as a NA engine.

Natural Aspirated engines are by far my preferred application. When you consider all that we have talked about above, the power, the delivery, the sound, you get the pinnacle of all those aspects of a V8 in a really good NA engine. Plus the responsiveness of a NA engine is unparalleled. That’s the bond that holds all these things together and exemplifies all the key factors in the best way possible. To me, a good naturally aspirated V8 transposes the human element into that piece of driving nirvana. When you can feel the difference between 1/3 throttle and 3/4 throttle and every variation in-between. Where the engine responds in kind with the roll on to wide open throttle, all the way through the rpm range until you have to lift to either slow down or shift. Then, back on the throttle and the response is instant. Correlating directly with the exact amount of throttle input from your right foot, is the amount of power being put down to the wheels with the decibel level exiting in the exhaust. Whether its the high revving 8000+ redline or the heart wrenching torque monster, the primal response is the same. Absolute joy. And a good naturally aspirated engine will do this again and again, lap after lap, without complaint. However, at the end of the day, regardless if you choose forced induction or naturally aspirated, driver enjoyment is what it is all about.

Photo courtesy of Chevrolet. Their engine line up for the Camaro. Left to right. The LT1 V8, the 3.6l V6, and their new 2.0L Turbo 4 Cylinder

Here in lies the problem with our modern world. The V8, in practical terms, is archaic and unnecessary due to tighter emission regulations, fuel efficiency requirements, and engine application advancements. The V8 is up against the wall with pressure from governments around the world, as well as technological advancements with engines in general. Forced induction is becoming the norm on most engines. Hell, a turbo four cylinder is commonly making well over 200 hp and higher variants are pushing or exceeding the 300 hp mark from the factory. V8’s are being replaced by turbocharged or supercharged V6’s in almost every car line up where it was previously available. The arguments are they make the same power as the old V8’s and are more efficient, both in power and fuel economy. This is all rational thinking for a problem that most irrational enthusiasts never asked for a resolution on.

Photo courtesy of Audi. The 4.2L V8 FSI.

As the pendulum swings with the industry demands, we are left with two trains of thought on the matter. The people that continue to use the V8 engine, are left to gimmicky add-ons to help with fuel efficiency like cylinder shutdown under a light, steady throttle or engine start and stop when in traffic to help conserve on fuel and emission output. The other train of thought is to go the complete opposite end of the spectrum and go all out with the V8. For the European market as well as the Japanese to a lesser extent, they have only offered the V8 in very high end, expensive models. And in the lesser models that used to offer the V8, you now get the turbocharged or supercharged V6 variant. This kind of goes along the same train of thought for my previous article on the manual vs dual clutch transmission argument. The sense of engagement/fufillment vs pragmatism.

The bottom line is the V8 is becoming less and less available. While I don’t think it will go away completely, I do think it will eventually become an out of reach option for most car enthusiasts on a sensible budget. Where the allure and emotional attraction of a good V8 will be weighed against the more practical V6 or even turbo four cylinder option that can get you 90% of the power needs you are looking for. But damn it! It’s not always about which is the faster engine or makes the most power or which is more of an efficient design. It’s about what makes you want to drive a little further or what puts that smile on your face more often. I have a TDI Golf that gets excellent fuel mileage and is fairly fun to drive, but I find myself more often than not driving my V8 powered LR4 simply because the engine is so much fun. Even if it is in a tank of a vehicle and gets less than half the fuel mileage of my Golf.

Moral of the story is get your V8’s while you can. As technology advances and regulations tighten, the V8 driver’s car will become more scarce and less affordable. It will become a commodity that will go from the masses to the niche as autonomous cars, hybrids, and cars in general become more about creature comforts and just getting from point A to point B, with less on the actual experience.

It used to be a German car was the go to for a driver’s car. The American’s made a car that went fast in a straight line but you suffered in the corners, braking, and general build quality. That isn’t the case anymore. When you go from a benchmark like the BMW M3 being, for the most part, affordable and the definition of a drivers car, to what they offer now, it’s a far cry from what you used to expect. Not to mention the bloated price tag associated with a new well equipped M3, you’re talking over $75,000! M4? It goes way up from there!

Photo courtesy of Ford. The 5.2L flatplaned crank V8 named “Voodoo”

Speaking of that pendulum, it has swung back and the American car manufactures have answered with affordable V8 driver’s cars. In my next Human Element article, I will talk about the shift from German cars to American cars for the go-to driver’s car experience. And this is coming from a diehard German car guy!

]]>DriftSTL – A spring awakeninghttp://mylifeatspeed.com/driftstl-a-spring-awakening/
Mon, 07 Mar 2016 02:50:50 +0000http://mylifeatspeed.com/?p=50541When the St. Louis drift community wakes up from a long winter, they do what comes natural.. they go hard. Each spring a community of dedicated car nuts, itching to get behind the wheel and shred come out of their garages to shake off the rust. This past weekend a community of unknowns, ProAm and Pro2 […]

]]>When the St. Louis drift community wakes up from a long winter, they do what comes natural.. they go hard. Each spring a community of dedicated car nuts, itching to get behind the wheel and shred come out of their garages to shake off the rust.

This past weekend a community of unknowns, ProAm and Pro2 drivers, in everything from Nocturnal Motorsports’ purpose built tube-frame drift monsters to stock Ford Mustangs, set out to slay the parking lot / events area of Gateway Motorsport Park.

And slay they did.

As a parking lot event, the lack of walls allowed many drivers the opportunity to try their hand at drifting.

Others decided to go hard right out of the gate and flip their freshly finished beast.

It was a day to celebrate spring and kick-off the 2016 season in St. Louis.